Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Exploiting Clint McCance

Clint McCance is a man whose name will soon enter the post modern lexicon. It will be under 'evil', or 'bigot', or 'hate speech', or possibly 'censorship'. Though that later designation is unlikely. Fact is, Mr. McCance is guilty of a horrid scree of hateful bilge aimed not only at homosexuals in general, but children who identify themselves as homosexuals. Since we've worked feverishly over the decades to get kids to think in sexual terms, and we've also made sure that any child who even has slightly mixed feelings about boys or girls should understand they are homosexual from day one, Mr. McCance's tirade could impact a great many young people. For that matter alone, his position as a school board vice-president is questionable.

After all, it's one thing to say one disagrees with homosexuality, or finds no natural basis for it in terms of human behavior, or has religious beliefs that are in conflict with the gay rights movement. But when you wish harm and death on people, especially young people, and you hold a position of importance in their lives, it might be time to consider a different vocation. It might also be a great time for people who don't conform to the dogmas of the gay movement to rise up and condemn his rant for what it was: a sin filled, violent, hateful rant against fellow human beings. His opinions could have been given with dignity, and respect, and in Christian love. His decision to say it the way he did not only failed each of those tests, but also tarnished the very Faith upon which he claims to base his beliefs.

With that said, I no sooner hear of this than I'm watching CNN with Anderson Cooper. Now Mr. Cooper is fast becoming CNN's answer to Sean Hannity, or Rachel Madow. His biases are becoming clearer, and his contempt for those who don't hold his views more obvious. There are no doubt programing reasons behind this, but that's for another post in the distant future. For now, it's worth noting that Anderson's opinions and beliefs are no longer a separate element from the rest of his show.

I've noted already that a result of this has been the somewhat shameful exploitation by CNN in general, and Mr. Cooper in particular, of the recent suicides of certain young people. These deaths were, for the most part, the result of their being bullied for being gay. Even though some were no more than eleven, they had been bullied 'for years' due to their sexuality (see our desire to indoctrinate our children into a culture of hedonism, above). Of course there are millions of children bullied. The most common reasons due to things such as being overweight, being from a poor family, being small or unusually large physically, and other classic reasons for being picked on. Yet CNN, and MSNBC, and several other left leaning news organizations, along with endless amounts of private, hard left groups, have focused exclusively on the gay suicides.

Their conclusions have been as frightening as the hate filled rant of Mr. McCance. Bullying has to be stopped. What exactly bullying is has yet to be defined. I've heard interviews where it can include anything: criticism, disagreements, dislike of this or that lifestyle choice, and opinion about a hair style. In addition, bullying should be seen as dangerous and hateful. And we all know that today we expect our government to have no patience for hate filled anything. And naturally, dangerous behavior and attitudes should also be controlled. Therefore the not too subtle agenda emerges as 'it's time to regulate speech that we deem to be hateful.' And what is hateful? Apparently disagreeing with the gay rights agenda, or any one of a thousand various left wing dogmas.

The funny thing about this was the first Cooper episode I watched about this issue came right after a CNN segment detailing the pandemic of obesity that plagues our nation. It focused on overweight people's drag on our economy, our health care system, and our national welfare. That some may not be able to help being overweight, that some may have certain physiological conditions that predispose them toward being overweight, was irrelevant. The unflattering pictures and clips shown during the segment made it clear that those who were obese were a problem needing fixed. Their own feelings, insecurities or sensitivities were completely ignored. It affects our wallets, therefore they must change.

The fact that 1 in 5 male homosexuals and bisexuals in America have HIV - that's a higher rate of infection than smokers who will get lung cancer - is completely beside the point. That it may cost millions, if not billions, in lost productivity, health care cost, or general economic burden is never mentioned. Certainly not on CNN. Rather, CNN adopts a purely one sided approach to the issue in light of these recent events: There is no other option in dealing with homosexuality. You will conform. Any other attitude is nothing less than hate and bullying. And since we know these things can cause young people to commit suicide (apparently there was in none of these cases any other issue in their lives), the conclusion is obvious: it's time to regulate any speech deemed threatening or dangerous by our big politically correct brother.

Whether Americans wake up and say they reject such hate filled rants as Mr. McCance, but also reject exploitation by movements such as CNN to impose dogmas and strip away liberties, has yet to be seen. We'll just watch and wait. But take note it's coming. It's coming fast.

10 comments:

  1. You say that the conclusion that bullying has to be stopped is as frightening as the hate filled rant of Mr. McCance.

    Merely to articulate your view is to reveal its viciousness and absurdity. It is not worthy of further comment.

    You too tarnish your faith.

    Alex Segal

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  2. No Alex, I said I don't appreciate CNN and other venues exploiting this issue. I don't appreciate them ignoring the millions of other children who are bullied who don't happen to be gay. I don't appreciate Mr. Cooper and his guests, many of whom have made it clear that there are only two options: Supporting gay rights or being smacked down as evil, hateful, and bigoted, pushing this agenda forward. And I do worry that there is a growing tendency by those on the Left, particularly regarding the gay rights movement, who are pushing to make speaking out against homosexuality a thing of the past - even if they have to use oppression to do so. Call me silly, but I'm against censorship. I'm against bullying, too. I see no reason to support one or the other. I can condemn both and resist exploiting one to promote the other. If supporting the rights of all people, and condemning oppression or bullying against all people, tarnishes my faith, you'll have to explain why that is so.

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  3. So what you seem to be saying is that inasmuch as Mr Cooper is ignoring the millions of children who are bullied who don't happen to be gay he is doing something as frightening as what Mr McCance did.

    If you are saying this, I find it incredible and shocking.

    In making these criticisms of what you are saying, I am NOT supporting censorship. The fact that I very strongly disagree with what you are saying does not mean that I believe that what you are saying should be censored.

    Alex

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  4. Certainly something like Mr. McCance's post is over the line. As I said, he should be given his papers. But in watching the overall series of stories on CNN, particularly on Mr. Cooper's show, it hasn't been hard to see a blurring of the line between bullying and simply having opinions and beliefs that do not conform to the gay rights movement. That's the threat. When I hear a guest a week ago saying schools should stop students from speaking against homosexuality, that is nothing less than censorship. And worse, it's exploiting the tragic deaths of these young people (and again, ignoring the countless others who weren't gay), in order to advance an agenda, one that includes censorship if ever censorship was defined. Please hear me, I'm fine with stepping in and doing something about bullying, be them gay students or anyone. But if we want to solve the problem, let's ask tough questions and get to the bottom of things. And let's define the terms asap, before others with axes to grind slip in and take advantage of these events in order to ramrod their own versions of bullying into the public forum.

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  5. I did not see the guest on Mr Cooper's show a week ago who said that schools should stop students from speaking against homosexuality - so I do not know the tone of what they said. But it seems to me quite possible that they could have said this because they sincerely believe that if students did not speak against homosexuality, then gay students would feel less harassed and would be less likely to commit suicide. And if this was the speaker's motivation, then it is not only uncharitable but unjust to describe the speaker as "exploiting the tragic deaths of these young people ... in order to advance an agenda".

    And I am simply flabbergasted and appalled that you should think that what this speaker said is as frightening as what Clint McCance said.

    I regret saying that you tarnish your faith - that was uncalled for; and I apologise to you for saying this. But your postings dismay me.

    Alex

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  6. Alex,

    It's clear that the problem of bullying is being exploited. Most are only focused on gays being bullied. Even two weeks ago, it was ostensibly the larger problem of bullying. Now the only focus is on those who are gay. What happened to the others? Has the larger problem been resolved?

    And I agree with Dave, it's clear that some are using this to advance a call to eliminate the right to publicly reject homosexuality. I have seen Dan Savage interviewed, and his views are pretty clear. In an age of hate crime legislation, it doesn't take a genius to see the connection between labelling something as hate, and expecting it to be eliminated from free and public discourse. And that does pose a great danger if you take freedom of speech seriously.

    - BenHeard

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  7. I too have seen the evidence of agenda drived exploitation. Take the "wear purple to school day" on the 19th. That was something that bothered kids who have been bullied for a multitude of reasons. First this day was set aside to say stop bullying but it was only focused on gays. What about just leaving stop bullying.
    Dave has been trying to point out that there are avenues out there that have used these horrible suicides to push an agenda. The push of the agenda may be unintentional. But the fact is it exists. It is a sad thing that the death of young people who still had so much to live for has been boiled down to such a degree as that. They were people first, gay second, or maybe even third. They could have also had deeper issues of self confidence and loss of hope and worse issues to drive them to suicide. Just because you are bullied doesn't mean the end to it all. Maybe they should focus more on the individual and less on their sexual orientation.

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  8. I did not comment on whether the problem of bullying is being exploited; nor did I imply a postion on the matter. (I have reread my posts to make sure of this.)

    The fact that the two recent commentators seem to be saying that I took a position on this question when I said nothing about it is perhaps indicative of the exaggerated, aggressive way that the matter is being spoken about.

    It was the way that Dave expressed himself that I found so shocking. And it disturbs me that the recent commentators seem not to be bothered by this.

    I apologise again for the comment I made about Dave in relation to his faith. I was succumbing to the aggression that I find so disturbing.

    But I stand by everything else that I have said.

    Alex

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  9. In the posting I just sent, I should have said that I did not comment on the general issue of whether the problem of bullying is being exploited. I admit that I raised the possibility that a particular individual (who Dave said was exploiting the issue) may not have been exploiting the issue.

    The two most recent commentators seem to be implying that I said or implied that bullying was not being exploited. And I am sure that I did not do that.

    Alex

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  10. I think the commenters were simply pointing out that it is only uncharitable if, in fact, there is no reason to believe it is happening, whatever the motivation may be. And they, like I, believe there is some ulterior motives behind much of the otherwise needed attention. I can't speak to how much they thought you were making the case otherwise.

    But I spoke directly because it is a serious issue. And it impacts more than gay teens. And its solution involves more than telling students they are bigots if they don't accept homosexuality, or suggesting that anyone who disagrees with homosexuality should be 'dealt with.'

    I'm all for finding what's wrong regarding the issue of bullying. I, too, have children. But I don't want them to be saved from one bully only to be hit by another. And a national day dedicated primarily to protecting gay students from bullying - and very loosely defined at that - went a long way toward what I was talking about. My boys, whose faith turns them from homosexuality, felt very, very uneasy with the tone of that day.

    By the way, don't worry about what you said. I understand. These are big issues, and the internet does not always convey things as well as a conversation over English breakfast tea. You have made some good points, and have done it in a way that has been overall respectful. Your apology - and your input, even if I don't see eye to eye - is more than happily accepted.

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